


Fly free, Bluebird

by JustAnOkayWriter



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anxiety, Broken Bones, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Feral Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Love Letters, The crest scholar comes back, Whump, dimitri is protective of mari, ptsd type response
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29573442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnOkayWriter/pseuds/JustAnOkayWriter
Summary: Marianne has returned to the Edmund territory to learn diplomacy. The Crest Scholar of her past comes back to haunt her.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund
Kudos: 19





	Fly free, Bluebird

Marianne gently ran the brush along Dorte’s fur, cooing praises at the horse and smiling gently when he bumped his nose into her hair. She felt most relaxed when alone with her beloved horse, especially now that she would be the queen. It seemed as though everyone was looking around for her, trapping her in conversations and requests and questions about the wedding. Sometimes, it made her feel like a caged bird. Trapped, a decorative piece in an estate that no longer felt like home. She had returned only the previous day to her adoptive father’s territory, and had been greeted with surprising warmth by the man. The introvert found herself slightly overwhelmed by all of the attention, and had jumped at the first chance to wake up early and sneak out to the barn to visit Dorte. Her longtime companion had been excited to see her, neighing loudly until she had shushed him to avoid detection. When she heard the barn door slam as it slid open, she jumped into a defensive stance, scanning the doorway how Byleth had taught her. 

Seeing a man standing in the early morning light filtering through the doorway sent a shiver through her, but she squared her shoulders, making a slow approach until she was only a few strides away before speaking. “Uh… Hello?” Her voice was soft and unsure, and she stepped back when the man rushed towards her, stopping barely short of her reach before removing his hood.  _ Is that… the Crest scholar? _ Her thoughts raced as she recognized him, wishing she had brought a guard or a weapon with her, but she had lost some of her instincts during her months in Fhirdiad while peace settled over Fodlan. His gaze was focused directly on her face, and she felt her hands begin to tremble from the disgust and anger in his glare. He stepped forward, grabbing onto her wrist fiercely.

“You may have tricked me earlier, Beast, but I’m ready for you now.” His tone had searing heat behind it, and she recoiled, pulse thrumming in her throat.  _ Were there more attacks? Why did he come back for me? _ The healer swallowed nervously, making sure to keep her gaze level and calm on him even though her fear was pushing in waves at her composure. Tugging her wrist to attempt to escape his grip, she felt him grab onto her arm harder, a creak the only warning before a loud crack sounded through the empty barn. A deafening shriek escaped her from the blistering pain shooting up her wrist, and she felt him drop his grip before reaching for her hair to get a new hold on her. Dodging backwards, she threw a desperate punch with her uninjured hand and heard him curse before she ducked behind Dorte, the horse making nervous sounds and shifting around on his feet. 

“Come back here, you monster! You should feel the pain of your victims!” The Crest scholar shouted out into the barn to intimidate the girl, growling when he was met with complete silence instead. His boots made heavy sounds as he slowly walked over to her hiding place, each footfall bringing her anxiety level higher. Knowing if she didn’t fight back, that she likely wouldn’t be able to escape, she grabbed the broom behind her, holding it with her healthy hand and sending up a quick prayer to the goddess.  _ Please, Goddess. Let me live. _

The sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the barn, as men arrived to investigate her scream, and she heard the scholar curse quietly. Gripping tightly onto the broom, she hesitantly peered out from behind Dorte and saw the man surrounded by her adoptive father’s guards, they’re weapons drawn and aimed at him. The mage gently set down the broom. Stepping out from behind her horse carefully, she made her way over to the group, her injured wrist hanging limply at her side. She could feel the glare of the Crest scholar aimed at her, and made sure to keep her gaze down and away from his, letting out a soft cry when one of the guards reached out and prodded her wrist with a hand. 

“Lady Marianne! Are you hurt?” The lead guard was on the other side of the group, and she made a soft noise of affirmation, breath catching when she heard the scholar starting to laugh bitterly. Her adoptive father appeared in the doorway of the barn before the man could speak, fear showing in his eyes as he hurried over to where she was standing. Turning towards him, she frowned slightly, concerned about him being here with the man who had tried to hurt her. She withstood his checking her over, following behind him obediently when he made to leave the barn. The pair waited to speak until they were outside, a few of the guards following behind to ensure their safety. 

“You’re wrist. How bad is the pain?” The Margrave’s voice betrayed none of his feelings, but she could sense anger and frustration from her guardian. Her steps slowed slightly, and she looked down and away from him, still feeling the anxiety weighing down her chest. More than she thought, she wished to tell him what had happened with the scholar, but knew if she did, he would certainly be put to death.  _ I don’t want any more blood on my hands _ . Her adoptive father placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts and startling her slightly. “Marianne?”

“Sorry, Father. I got startled by that man and tripped in the barn.” The healer surprised even herself with how easily the lie slipped out of her, and she smiled hesitantly at her adoptive father when he quirked a brow at her. After a few moments, he nodded, and turned back towards the barn. “I’ll go release him. Head to your room, someone will be in shortly to heal your wrist.” The command in his tone reassured her, and she nodded before turning to head towards her room, hurrying there and sitting heavily onto the bed once she was inside. A need to talk to her fiancé almost overwhelmed her, but she knew if she sent him a letter about what had happened, he would immediately come here, and his royal duties would suffer because of it.  _ I shouldn’t bother him. This isn’t important. _ Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she whimpered from the pain in her wrist. 

The rest of the day was a rush of healers and guards asking her questions, and she couldn’t bring herself to leave her room, the idea of running into the scholar again pushing her into a blind panic whenever she thought about it. Her adoptive father attempted to come and speak with her, but she pretended to be resting to avoid the conversation. Part of her wanted to return to Fhirdiad, and hide away within Dimitri’s presence, but she knew it would only be a bother to him, and a burden on his new responsibilities as king.  _ It’s better if I stay here _ .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next half year showed a marked change in the demeanor of the gentle blue haired woman, and though she still showed up in the keep throughout the days, everyone had learned quickly not to startle her. She had accidentally hurt a few of the guards who had been assigned to watch her after they had surprised her, much to the amusement of her adoptive father. Convenient excuses from meals became normal for her, eating in the morning with the Margrave before spending the rest of her day either training or studying diplomacy. Though she knew that the Crest scholar had been removed from their territory, her nerves were frayed, and she checked for his presence every time she entered a new room. 

The only real comfort she found throughout the months was the letters she exchanged with her friends and her fiancé. She loved receiving letters from Dimitri most, hearing about how he was doing, as well as his letters about how much he had missed her. Each letter she received had been carefully kept in a chest beneath her bed, and she would reread the letters on days where her fears overwhelmed her.

She hadn’t told anyone what had truly happened with the Crest scholar, except for mentioning it in a letter to Claude. The two had become pen pals since he left Fodlan, and she regularly kept him updated on the progress of the war, and then on her life after. The former Alliance Leader had gently chided her in his response for hiding what had happened, and reminded her that her fiancé would be concerned, but she just sent a simple reply, letting him know she was fine. The last few days, everyone had been rushing around to prepare for some kind of event, though she was unable to get a straight answer from her adoptive father, and had stopped trying on the second day.

A sudden rapid knock sounded at her door, and she jumped, pulled from her scattered thoughts.  _ Who would be knocking at this hour?  _ It was around noon, sunlight showing her path to the door. Slowly opening it, she remained tense, prepared to defend herself if necessary and relaxing when she saw a messenger from Fhirdiad.  _ Wait, Fhirdiad? _ The man was holding a folded paper and had a smile on his lips, horse nickering quietly behind him. “Good morning, my Lady. I have an urgent letter here for you, from the King.” Handing her the letter, he gave her a nod before heading back towards his horse. Calling out her thanks, she closed the door behind him and took a seat on her bed to read the missive.

_ Mari, _

_ It has been six agonizing months since you departed for Edmund, and my soul aches for you. Your beautiful smiles and melodic voice haunt my dreams. We have some business to handle in the former Alliance territory, and I’ve ensured we will spend time in Edmund territory as well, finalizing treaties with your adoptive father. More than anything, I need to see you. Myself and a diplomatic envoy will be visiting within the week, my love.  _

_ It has been busy here in Fhirdiad, and every day I seem to gain more responsibility. Dedue and Ingrid have continued to rebuild our military, reorganizing the troops and working together to find the most effective strategies in combat with Sylvain. I dispatched Felix to ensure that the lords from the former Empire were keeping to their new vows, and have only heard positive reports back. A surprise from him, but welcome with how busy I’ve been. There has barely been time for me to write these letters.  _

_ How I long for the days when we walked the academy grounds together, and you spent hours teaching me how to best approach the wildlife populating the monastery. The softest of silks could never be sufficient to match the feeling of your skin against mine, but hopefully I’ll be able to feel it myself soon. I’ve also sent a letter to your adoptive father, alerting him to my impending arrival. He should inform you before this reaches you, but I could not bring myself to visit without writing you. _

_ I eagerly await our reunion. I will be seeing you soon, love. _

_ Yours in eternity, _

_ Dimitri _

Gasping softly, Marianne fought the tears filling her eyes and wiped at them harshly, relief and dread flooding her in equal measures. The fact that he would be there soon, that she would get to see him, was wonderful. Except, she knew she hadn’t been taking care of herself, and that he would notice her acting differently.  _ It’s only for a week, I can do this. He’ll only be here for a week.  _ Her hands shook and she nearly dropped the letter, setting it down gently next to her before the date caught her eye.  _ Wait, he sent this a week ago. That means… _

The roar of a trumpet broke her thoughts, and she squeaked softly, heart pounding. She knew that meant they were here, and she hadn’t been forewarned by Margrave Edmund. Rushing to get herself dressed appropriately, she hurried out of her room, the chaos outside causing her anxiety to worsen rapidly. Looking around, she spotted her adoptive father, and rushed to his side, ducking her gaze when he attempted to make eye contact. Sighing quietly at her, he straightened his shoulders and smiled as the newly crowned King approached on horseback, Dedue and Ingrid flanking him from a short distance behind. The Margrave bowed for Dimitri, Marianne giving a small curtsy as well, before the man dismounted from his horse, approaching the pair quickly.

“Your Highness, we are honored to have you here in Edmund Territory. Welcome.” Margrave Edmund had adopted a more formal tone, and looked up with a small amount of surprise when the King laughed softly, crossing his arms over his chest easily. He shook his head slightly, eye focused on the man, so Marianne took a small moment to study him. His face was darkened with stubble, and his armor polished to shine brightly, but she could easily see how tired he was. The last six months had added stress lines to his brow, and she could tell he had been eating well.  _ Thank the Goddess he has Dedue there _ . His nightmares were usually only subdued by sleeping next to her, and she felt a wave of guilt crashing over her, pulse thready and quick, high in her throat. Before she looked away, she could see her fiancé briefly give her a once over, a frown marring his face for a moment before he smoothed out his expression. 

“The honor is mine, Margrave. Your territory is beautiful. Truly. We are glad to be here” Hearing the voice of her beloved started to dissipate her anxiety, the tight ball of stress that had been weighing her down feeling like less of a burden. She startled when he stepped closer to her, reaching down to grab her hand and placing a gentle kiss onto it, and a blush started to warm her features. His hand subtly squeezed hers for a moment, before he dropped it and stepped back once more. “And of course, it is wonderful to see you as well, Marianne.” Her name sounded different from his lips, and she could sense the fondness in his tone, before ducking her gaze to stare resolutely at the ground. She couldn’t look at him in that moment, a phantom pain starting in her wrist and causing her to rub at the limb, unaware both her fiancé and his friends were watching her movements. 

“Well, if it is alright with you, Margrave Edmund, I would love a few moments to settle in and get a good meal. We’ve been traveling for four days now” The King’s tone was still pleasant, but there was a slight edge to it, one that made Marianne bite her lip with nerves.  _ What’s going on with him? _ She snapped her gaze to her adoptive father when he stepped forward, nodding quickly.

“Yes, your Highness. Dinner will be a few hours, but of course yourself and your men will be able to get food in our kitchens. We have rooms prepared for yourself and your men, and-”

“Thank you, Margrave. Your men can show Dedue and Ingrid where to go” Dimitri interrupted the man before he could go into a speech, and smiled slightly when everyone began to move. His friends started to direct their men, her father’s various staff rushing to help with their belongings and show them to their rooms. The healer felt a similar smile on her own lips and shifted, intending to return to her room, but jumped and tensed when she felt a hand grasp her previously injured wrist. As soon as the grip closed around it, however, she let out a terrified squeak and snatched her arm back quickly, rubbing at the limb as the memory of the scholar’s touch pressed forward in her mind. Her eyes quickly found Dimitri’s, the worry and anger in his eye snapping her back out of her thoughts.  _ Have I upset him somehow? _

“Marianne, may I speak with you? Alone.” He had softened his tone, low enough only herself, her adoptive father, and the king could hear, and she gave a slight nod, turning to her father and smiling slightly when he gave his agreement. Grabbing his hand with her own, she led him to her room, shutting and locking the door behind them before turning to face her fiancé. Before she could move any further into the room, she was crowded against the door by his larger frame, left arm being used to prop him up, and his other hand slipping up to cup her cheek gently. His eye was shining and wet, and she let out a small chuckle in spite of herself, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips above her before he had a chance to speak. Feeling him melt into the simple press of her lips shoved her anxiety further down within her, a peaceful calm overtaking her. His presence alone soothed her, and she knew that she could finally relax with him there.

Pulling back slightly, she rested her forehead against his chest, hiding her face from his view and biting her lip when he tugged her chin back up so their gazes met. The urge,  _ need _ , to kiss him again flickered to life in her head, and she leaned in, only to be stopped by his leaning back slightly. The subtle rejection hurt her, and she pulled back, pressing herself firmly into the door and biting her lip. His hand was still on her chin, and she could see indecision written all over his face before he let out a sigh. Gently pressing his lips to hers once more, he stepped back and took a seat on her bed, gesturing for her to join him. Once she was seated on the bed, he reached out to grab her hand, running a finger along the scars there from her injury.

“I received an odd letter from Claude a few months ago, telling me I should check on you imminently. At first, I was slightly skeptical, because if something had happened, I was sure you would write” The last sentence had a chiding edge to it, and she blushed, averting her gaze from him. She shouldn’t have breathed a word of what had happened to anyone, but she knew her friend was looking out for her wellbeing, and Dimitri’s arm wrapping around her shoulders dissipated some of the anxiety she felt from his statement. “Though nothing in your letters caused me alarm, I couldn’t help but worry regardless. I requested that a diplomatic mission be done to the former Alliance territory, and of course wanted to head it myself. I  _ needed _ to see you, to ensure your health myself.” Glancing back at her fiancé, she was worried to see his gaze fixed on her face, carefully observing her before continuing. “I can tell you’ve been neglecting yourself, my love. May I know why?”

“Well… um… that is…” She trailed off, truth sticking to her throat as honey would and the words being pushed down by her fear trying to keep the truth to herself. His fingers slowly traced over the newer scars, brow furrowed with concern. She could tell he was perturbed by them, but it was nearly impossible to explain what had happened to him. Knowing the anger that would soon appear, she tensed slightly, closing her eyes and swallowing nervously. The truth started trickling out. “Do you remember that Crest scholar I told you about?”

His brow raised at her question, and he nodded at first, although she couldn’t see it. Rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand, he sighed softly, before replying. “I remember. The one who has been following you since your father’s disappearance?” His voice had dropped slightly, and she could hear him restraining himself and trying to stay calm, which she appreciated. Squeezing his hand with hers to steady herself, she nodded to confirm what he had asked. The feeling of his free hand coming up to grip her chin brought a flinch from her, and she felt him tug her face upwards until she was meeting his eye. At the sight of the rage brewing in his gaze, she froze, her mind racing and her voice lost. Tears came unbidden to her, and she gasped out a soft sob when his arms wrapped around her. Dimitri pulled her into his lap with a soft shush, stroking a hand gently over her shoulder. 

Marianne was unable to stifle or stop herself once the crying started, feeling safe for the first time since her wrist had been broken. The emotions she had been desperately ignoring were dragged to the surface, and she clung to him. Being wrapped within her fiance’s presence was exactly what she had needed to be able to decompress from the fear brought on by the Crest scholar cornering her in the barn. She could feel his hands continuing to rub slow, gentle circles into her back, and he gently wrapped his cloak around her. Her sobs worsened once she was fully ensconced in his arms and cloak, wishing she had said something to him, or her adoptive father, when she was injured, instead of holding it in for months. She would need to write to Claude and thank him. 

Dimitri waited until her sobs had subsided, continuing to rub her back and frowning when he felt how thin she was. Letting her leave and come back to her adoptive father’s territory had been a difficult decision for him, knowing that she would have trouble adjusting, and not wanting her to be alone. But something had clearly happened in the months that she had been here, and he felt himself starting to tighten his grip on her, taking a deep breath and ensuring his hold remained gentle. The king leaned in and lowered his voice, speaking directly into her ear. 

“Mari?” His voice was soft, and he felt her jump in his lap regardless. Worried, and beginning to get slightly more frustrated, he slipped his hand to the back of her neck, resting it heavily there and using his grip to tug her up until their foreheads were pressed together. “Tell me what happened” The command rumbled deeply from his chest, and she licked her lips, nodding. Hearing his voice drop into that tone helped to steady her, more than used to his commanding presence and tone and knowing he would keep her safe. She found it soothing when he took control like this, able to listen to what he was asking and respond easier.

After a quick glance to the door to make sure it was shut, she attempted to slide out of his lap, blushing when he locked his arms around her and growled softly. “I need to hold you, love. I won’t fail to protect you again” She swallowed nervously when he spoke, hearing his tone slipping more into the feral voice of his sicker self. Shaking his head, he gave her a small smile, taking a few deep breaths to stabilize. “I want you here, safe in my arms. Just while you tell me” His voice was back to normal, and Marianne nodded hesitantly, burying the top of her face in his neck and shoulder, before she took a breath to begin explaining what happened.

“Well, the d-day after I got here, I was in the barn. I was alone, and the Crest scholar came into the barn, I didn’t know it was him. And then, well… um…” She trailed off for a moment, taking a shaky breath before continuing. “He grabbed my arm, and he was talking about how I had tricked him, and I needed to pay, and he… snapped my arm w-”

She was suddenly cut off by a rage filled roar beneath her, being deposited on the bed and biting her lip.  _ Stupid, why did you say anything? You should have shut up!  _ Her mind was screaming at her, and she curled up into herself on the bed, hearing the King pacing in her room. Her tears started to return, and she tried her best to muffle them in her arms, teetering closer to breaking down once more. “Shouldn’t have said anything idiot” She mumbled to herself, before an upset growl sounded in front of her, echoing through the room. The healer was suddenly lifted from the bed, and she squeaked, startled, before being pinned up against a wall, her legs wrapped loosely around Dimitri’s waist. 

His hold on her was firm but not harsh, and she reached a hand out to rest it on his neck, smiling gently at him. His eye was fixed on her, his emotions flashing too quickly through him for her to identify. Her hands slowly went to work rubbing his shoulders, using her touch as a way to ground him like she did when they were in Faerghus. Despite the murderous rage clearly laid out on his face, she felt no fear. He would never allow her to come to harm.

“ _ Don’t  _ blame yourself. That vermin who  _ dared to hurt my love _ will bear the weight of my rage, and I will show him the unrelenting torture he deserves for what he’s done to you” The conviction and threat in his voice likely would have terrified her before, but she knew and trusted he would never aim the fire within at her. Her hands shifted to let his hair out of the tie it had been pulled into, and she gently ran them through his hair, allowing him to hold her in place and start to slowly calm down. His head fell onto her shoulder, and he slowly allowed her to slip down from his arms, following her back to the bed. After removing her shoes, as well as his own, he lay down in her bed with her, pulling her to rest against his chest. 

Marianne relaxed gratefully against him, feeling his hands come back up to slowly run along her back. She felt him place a kiss to the top of her head, and leaned up to press one to his lips in return. After a moment, she settled back into his hold and felt herself growing drowsy. The mage hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep since she saw her fiancé, and was grateful that he was there with her. She felt the rumble of the blond’s chest before she realized he was talking. “Get some rest, bluebird. I won’t let anyone interrupt it”. Her eyes drifted shut as she succumbed to the pull of sleep, cuddling closer to Dimitri.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A gentle shaking woke her from her nap, her eyes blinking open slowly to see Dimitri smiling lovingly at her. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, and she basked in his affections for a few moments. A knock at the door startled her, and she jumped, glazing toward it nervously. When she felt her fiancé sitting up next to her, she relaxed slightly, standing up from the bed and giving him a soft grin. Walking over to the door, she opened it slightly, smiling hesitantly at Ingrid and letting the knight into her room. 

“Your Majesty, Lady Edmund” Ingrid greeted them with a teasing tone to her voice, crossing her arms and smiling at Dimitri as he stood. “Dinner is being served shortly, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t arrive late”

“Thank you Ingrid. We will be along shortly” Dimitri gave her a small grin, watching as his knight left the room before turning to Marianne. Seeing how thin and exhausted she looked had nearly taken his breath away when he first arrived. Though Claude’s letter had tipped him off that something had happened, he hadn’t quite expected to find her in this kind of a state. Seeing the change from how bright, happy, and healthy she looked when she left for her adoptive father’s territory, to the anxious, afraid shell she was now nearly broke his self control. He  _ needed _ to find out what had happened, who had hurt his love, to  _ fix it _ . 

And when he heard?  _ Containing his need to rip that absolute scum limb from limb was impossible. _ He had been seconds from leaving to go find the man, before he heard the muffled sobs and the self-deprecation from Marianne. Nothing more than comforting her was possible once he heard that. Being able to hold her while she got some much needed rest helped to calm his rage down to a simmering anger. His sweet Mari, she clearly would benefit from him just being with her. Feeling her relax against him and sleep calmed his worry, and he hoped she would be able to heal from the traumatic experience. 

A pair of thin arms wrapping around him pulled Dimitri out of his thoughts, smiling lovingly down at Marianne. Her mirrored grin was adorable, and he leaned down to press another kiss to her lips, feeling her hands slide up to his shoulders while kissing him back. Gently wrapping his arms around her, the blond held her close to him and pulled back after a few minutes, leaning their foreheads together. 

“We should probably go to dinner, love” The king’s voice had no small amount of mirth, and Marianne nodded before pulling out of his arms. Adjusting her dress and hair, the mage held out her hand and giggled when Dimitri grabbed hers in his larger one, interlacing their fingers. The oppressive anxiety that had been plaguing her was the furthest thing from her mind, and she led her fiancé to the dining hall, sitting at the head of the table between her future husband and her adoptive father. 

Throughout the meal, she could feel the love of her fiancé, subtle touches and grins between them happening throughout. Though she worried for what would happen going forward, Marianne was thankful for her love, and grateful he was able to come see her. Watching him banter with her adoptive father, surrounded by their friends and the jovial attitude of the evening, she felt herself grin. 


End file.
